Getting to the root of knife-carrying

There is nothing more harrowing than a mother's high-pitched cry echoing down a hospital corridor on discovering her child has been stabbed to death. It resonates further knowing all heroic attempts by medical staff are futile after such extensive irreparable damage has been done. And after two years of research (Tactics against gangs fatally flawed - report, July 14), our understanding of the root causes of knife crime and the motivation among perpetrators is still cloudy.

Having grown up in a rough London school, I know that this culture has been long evolving. Little has changed - only the age of those carrying knives. Young people feel they have to keep up with the ethos of invoking fear because that is what it means to enter adulthood, or be an authority - as daily evidenced by their parents, schoolteachers, police and even country leaders. With the skill-less act of carrying or using a knife, young people earn street credit by invoking fear among their peers and flaunting misplaced bravery.

With complex social problems in London, pressures on families translate into young people feeling demoralised and lacking control. Why don't we give them back that feeling of control, not through fear but through understanding, coping strategies and conflict resolution skills? Many of us had to learn these the hard way, but at least we're here to tell the tale.Dr Heba Al-NaseriNorthwick Park hospital, Harrow